1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent development of digital cameras, hard disk/DVD recorders, portable music players, scanner printer multifunction peripherals, and personal computers has been accompanied by a sharp increase in the number of devices that handle a large-volume of multimedia data such as pictures, moving images, and music. Hence, functions provided in the devices have increased. The increased functions complicate an operation of the devices, increase operation procedures, and complicate a user interface to be operated by a user, thereby causing great distress on the user.
In the personal computer, a user interface is generally used where a function is operated by a pointing device such as a mouse or a touch panel. Recently, in many cases, since touch panels have been employed in a portable telephone, a compact information terminal, the digital camera, and the scanner printer multifunction peripheral, a user can operate these devices easily with intuitive operations. A gesture recognition technology for recognizing a pen or finger operation on the touch panel now enables the pointing device to give multifunctional instructions.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-263688 discusses a technology of designating graphics that become editing targets by surrounding a part of a drawing displayed on a screen with handwritten closed graphics by a pen operation on a touch panel, and designating an edit processing type by handwriting a gesture close to the closed graphics. This technology enables more multifunctional instructions to be given.
However, the technology discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-263688 has the following problem. The gesture added after the closed graphics are handwritten becomes complex in handwriting, for example, even in a case of a simple gesture of cancellation. The complex gesture forces a user to learn many gestures, causing a possibility of difficult operations.
A solution may be employed which changes processing according to positions of first handwritten closed graphics and a next written gesture. For example, in order to execute processing, a gesture is written in the closed graphics. In order to cancel the processing, the outside of the closed graphics is simply tapped. This method is easily understood by the user, and therefore a user can easily perform operations.
However, the above method may result in a difficulty of clearly defining a positional relationship between the first closed graphics and the next gesture. For example, when the first written closed graphics are too small, it is difficult to write any gestures therein. When the first written closed graphics are too large, tapping outside thereof is difficult.
When the graphics are handwritten not by a pointed pen but by a thick thing such as a finger, it is difficult to draw the graphics as intended. The closed graphics become sizes unsuited for drawing a next gesture, causing difficulty of writing the next gesture.